Folding stairs



May 1, 1956 G. MATHS Em 2,743,861

FOLDING STAIRS Filed Dec. 29. 1952 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 wat.:

IN VEN TORS 6E 0R62: IWA 7 7/5 f2 5721 NLE VFA/DP XML# ATTORNEYS.

May 1, 1956 G. MATTls Erm. 2,743,861

` v FOLDING STAIRS f'l E EL IN VEN TORS deo/M /VArr/s .5 @y BY.STANLEY/PAPA AJ/w94 ATTORNEYS.

United States Patent e FOLDING sTAnzs George Mattis, Oakland, andStanley Rapp, Menlo Park,

The present invention relates to an improvement in folding stairs and inparticular Ito foldable stairsadaptfed for mounting upon a verticalwall. "i

Many modern living and working quarters have a limited space and it iscommon in such circums-tances to provide overhead or raised storagefacilities. vIt is quite inconvenient to have "to employ a chair or aconventional ladder lto reachsu'ch raised facilities and the' presentinvention "provides improved folding stairs adapted for permanentmounting below the raised storage or other facilities. Not only ydoesthe present invention provide a sturdy readily available stairwaybut inaddition the stairway so provided is adaptedv in folded or retractedposition to occupy a-mini'mu'm of space and further to readily lit into@thei'surroundings so' as lto be substantially indistinguishable' lasstairs.' The stairway is particularly adapted for disposition within arectangular recess 'or depression in a vertical wall and when foldedtherein assumes' the 'appearance of a row of drawers so as to blend intoIthe surroundings. e 'f' "It is accordingly an object of the presentinvention to provide vimproved folding stairs.

It yis another object of the present invention to provide improvedfolding stairs adapted for mounting within a depression in a verticalwalla'nd retractible into closing relation thereto.

',It is a further object of the present inventionto provide 2,743,861Patented Mer 1 lICC 'Figure-6 is a plan view of the Iimprovedy foldingstairs` with'an alternative closure means.

" Figure 7 is a plan view of an. alternative embodiment 1 ofthe improvedfolding stairs, and

yFigure 8 is an elevational View of the embodiment of Figure 7. e i fvConsidering now the structure of the embodiment of the inventionillustrated in4 Figures l-'5 and'viewing the stairs in unfoldedp'osition,vthere will be seen from -Figure l to be provided a number ofdat rigid'pla-'tes'1 1,"'12, and 13 which are adapted to serve as stairtreads. With the stairs unfolded plates 11-13are oriented in parallelrelationship, vertically spaced, and horizontally offset properdisposition for convenient walking"thereon` as Ya conventional fixedstairway. Upper plate 11 is vprovided [with a pair ofrfrigid extensions14 connected one ytov each of the rear corners of plate 1v1 andextending `hack therefrom. j

The improved folding lstairs of the present invention are designed formounting upon a vertical wall -16 and are particularly adapted formounting within va shallow rectangular recess or depression therein.'Thus the extensions 14 of upper plate 11 have pivotal connections 18 'atthe ends thereof'engaging )the vertical sidewalls of depression 17 sothat plate 11 is pivotable into and out of depression 17,. Plates y11-13are joinedl togetherN by a .pluralityfof straight. rigid spacing ybarsand these fbars may be considered as comprisingtwo sets of vbars with.each set including along front bar 21 and a `short rear bar 22 Frontbar 21 is pivotally connected to 'the sides of .plates v.l1- 13 adjacentthe front corners thereof and animproved folding stairway adapted forconvenient mounting upon a vertical wall and providing maximum rigidityin unfolded position. i 'It is still another object of `the presentinvention to provide a folding stairway having an improved folding andsupporting mechanism.

Ivt`is"still a further object of Ithe presen-t invention to provide animproved folding stairway adapted for permanent mounting within a recessin a vertical wall and folding very compactly to tinto a very shallowrecess.

The invention possesses other objects and features of advantage, some ofwhich, with Ithe foregoing,'will be set Vforth in the followingdescription of the preferred form of (the invention which is illustratedin the drawing accompanying and forming part of the specification. lt isto be understood, however, that variations in the showing made 'by vthesaid drawing and description may be adopted wi'thinthe scope of theinventio-n'as set forth in the claims.

The invention is disclosed with respect to a single preferred embodimentillustrated in the attached drawing Figure 1 is -a side 'elevationalView of the stairs in position of use.

Figure 2 is a side elevational view of the stairs in "Figure 5 is apartial plan view of the stairs in retracted position.

extends below lower plate 13 when fthe stairs are iny operated positionto contact the door 23 from which the stairs extend. The' lower'endoffront bar 21is preferably capped with or formed of a resilientmaterial 24,` suchhas rubber, in orderto grip floor 23 land tto preventgouging thereof. Forthe mounting of rear bar 22 pla-tes y1l2` and 13.are each .provided with a pair of raised or 'upstanding' mountingmembers 26 and 27 attached t-o lthe rear corners offplat'eslZ and 13respectively.l Bar 22 ispivotally connected'lto mounting members` 26 and27 of plates 12 and y13 4and to the extension 14 of plate 11 alikedistance above plate 111 so that rear bar 22 is disposed paralleltofront'bar 21 and both pivotally engage platesf11-13 adja- Vicent alignedcorners thereof. The combinati-on of each setof bars r21 and 22and'plates 11-1-3 'comprise a foldable or pivotable parallelogram withthe two parallel-ograms being interconnected by plates 11-13. Theseparallelogranrs are pivotable upwardly from the above noted v.operatedposition with pla-tes 11-1-3 disposed in offset parallelism and bars 211an-d 22 being disposed at a slant interconnecting plates 1 1-13 to afolded or retracted po'sition with plates 1.1-,13 in vertical planaralignment and bars 21 and 22 vertically disposed. A`

In addition tothe above-noted support orhmounting of the stairs hyextensions 14 of upperv plate l11 there are provided further'supportmeans adapted to more firmly anchor the stairs in position. Thesesupport means include a pair of foldable links 28 yeach of-which'includes two straight rigid elements 31 and 32 of substantially'the vsame length pivotally connected together at the vends thereof. Oneend' of each link 28 'has a pivotal connection 33 therein which isadapted to engage a vertical side of depression 17 in wall 16 and thereis provided a pair of'raised mounting members 34 on the corners of upperplate 11 to'which 'the other end of links 28 are pivotally attached.Links 28 are made with sufficient ylength so'that in the operatedposition vof the stairs the links `are fully' extended or unfolded andthe pivotal connections 33 at` the ends thereof are preferably sodisposed within depression 17 that links 28are substantially alignedwith front bars 21 when the stairs are in operated positionI in order toprovide maximum support therefor. A further support member may beprovided in the form of a pair of braces 36 which are pivotallyconnected at 52 one to each of the rear bars 22 below upper plate 11 andwhich extend downward and back therefrom. Braces 36 are each providedwith a pivotal connection 37 at the end thereof which is adapted toengage a vertical side wall of depression 17 and braces 36 may be bentat 36 in an obtuse angle in order that they will not touch the mountingmembers 26 of intermediate plate 12 when the stairs are in folded orretracted position.

The support members of the stairway provide rigidity to the stairs whensame is in unfolded operated position and in this position links 28 areplaced in tension and braces 36 are placed in compression. In order thatthe stairs may be folded into the above described retracted position thepivotal connections 18, 33, and 37 of support members 14, 28 and 36 areadapted for mounting in vertical alignment within wall recess 17,however, the vertical spacing of these connections is dependent upontherelative dimensions of the stair elements.

As above noted plates 11-13 are adapted to serve as' stair treads andthus the upper surfaces thereof in operated position of the stairway maybe roughened to provide improved safety, if so desired. The dimensionsof the stairs is related to the dimensions of recess 17 in wall 16 sothat the stairs are adapted to retract entirely withinV recess 17. Tothis end plates 11-13 are formed with a width substantially equal to thewidth of recess 17, there being allowed a slight leeway on each side ofplates 11-13 to accommodate bars 21 and 22 which may be made quite thinto minimize the necessary difference in width of plates 11-13 and recess17. Also the summation of the depths of plates 11-13 is madesubstantially equal to the height of recess 17 so that in retractedposition the plates 11-13 in vertical planar alignment substantiallyclose recess 17. Further concealment of the stairs may be accomplishedby finishing the under surfaces of plates 11-13 in the manner of drawerfronts and attaching drawer pulls 39 thereto so that in retractedposition the stairs are indistinguishable from a set of drawers in wall16. These drawer pulls 39 also function as handles for convenientunfolding of the stairs from retracted position. In some circumstancesit is desirable to even further conceal the nature of the stairs and forthis purpose there may be provided a pair of covering strips 41 whichare vertically disposed along the sides of recess 17 overlaying aportion of same and are pivotally mounted thereat to freely swing abouta vertical axis. These strips 41 are preferably spring mounted Iat 41 toassume a normal position extending over the vertical edges of recess 17and thus in retracted position of the stairs extend over the verticaledges of plates 11-13 to cover and conceal bars 21 and 22 and pivotoutwardly when the stairs are unfolded to extend outwardly from wall 16alongside the stairs while returning of their own accord to normalposition when the stairs are retracted.

'It will be appreciated that the above-described embodiment of theinvention is so constituted as to have maximum rigidity in operatedposition and that certain of the stair elements may be modified or eveneliminated if so desired but with a loss of rigidity. Thus where onlynormal loads are to be placed on the stairs bar 21 may be made the samelength as bar 22 with the lower portion of bar 21 removed so that itdoes not contact the oor, there being provided by support members 14,28, arid'36 sufficient strength for the stairs to support normal loads.There may also be provided one or more catch mechanisms 42 for thepurpose of retaining the stairs in retracted position and such mechanismmay include a pin 43 upon upper step 11 and a spring clip 44 mountedwithin recess 17 in position to engage pin 43 when the stairs areretracted. This function may, however, be accomplished by cover strips41 when same are spring loaded.

Although the present invention is particularly adapted for contructionin the above-noted manner to present the appearance of drawers inretracted position it is not so limited and various other closure meansmay be provided and in fact certain other mounting means are alsopossible. Thus, recess 17 may be closed by a door to simulate a cupboardor the like and in this respect reference is made to Figure 6 showing inplan view such an arrangement. The stairs are mounted as before withinrecess 17, however, covering strips 41 are not provided and instead adoor 46 is mounted by hinges 47 upon the wall 16 adjacent recess 17.Door 46 is adapted to swing upon hinges 47 from a position in closingrelation to recess 17 to a position such as shown in Figure 6 whereinthe stairs may be unfolded, as shown. Suitable handles and door catchmechanism may be provided as desired.

Considering a further manner of mounting the invention it is noted thatit may under certain circumstances be advantageous to displace thestairs or to provide for disposing them in some other relation to thevertical wall 16 when they are unfolded and in this respect reference ismade to Figures 7 and 8 showing a modification of the invention havingsuch capabilities. The recess 17 in wall 16 is adapted for closure bydoor 46 which is mounted by hinges 47 so as to be pivotable about onevertical edge of recess 17 as in Figure 6. In this instance, however,the improved folding stairs are mounted upon door 46 so that they toopivot out of recess 17 when door 46 is opened and the stairs may thus bedisposed at any desired angle to wall 16. As shown in Figure 7 the doorand attached stairs have been pivoted degrees so that the stairs aredisposed normal to wall V16 but displaced from recess 17 and it is notedthat the back wall of recess 17 may be either eliminated or be mademovable under the circumstance that access is desired to the spacebehind the wall 16, as for example, when wall 16 is the front of acabinet or counter. To facilitate the mounting of the stairs upon door46 there is provided a pair of vertical door sides 48 rigidly attachedto the back portion of door 46 and extending normal theretofordisposition within recess 17 when door 46 is closed. Inasmuch as thestairs are mounted upon a hinged door it is advantageous to providemeans for supporting the stairs other than the door hinge and thus thestairs are modified in this respect. The stairs may include three stairtreads 11-13 connected by front bars 21 and rear bars 22 pivotallyengaging treads 11-13, however, the extensions 14 of upper tread 11 aremodified to comprise extensions 14a which are somewhat larger and extendupward as well as back from upper tread 11. Extensions 14a are pivotallyconnected at their back ends to door sides 48 and there is provided apair of braces 36 pivotally connected to bars 22 between treads 11 and12 and to door sides 48. The upper support means of the previouslydescribed embodiment is replaced by a pair of vertical legs 49 which arepivotally connected at their upper ends to tread extensions 14a slightlyforward of the back corners thereof. Legs 49 extend vertically downwardfrom the pivotal top mounting into engagement with the floor 23 inbearing relation thereto and are pivotally connected to braces 36. Legs49 thus provide support for the stairs and take the place of foldablelinks 28 which depended from wall 16 and legs 49 brace the stairs fromthe oor to support the stairs substantially independent of door 46 so asnot to strain hinges 47 thereof.

Folding of the stairs is accomplished in the same manner as described inconnection with the embodiment of Figure 1 and with regard to legs 49there are provided a pair of slots 51 in upper tread 11 adjacentextensions 14a thereof and extending therealong to the back edge oftread 11. Legs 49 extend through these slots 51 on the inner sides ofextensions 14a and when the stairs are folded legs 49 swing back throughthese slots into hanging position parallel and adjacent the verticallyaligned treads 11-13. Slots 53 are formed in legs 49 so that the pivotalconnection 54 to braces 36 are also slidable to allow folding of thoseelements when the stairs are retracted. Suitable means may be providedto hold the stairs in folded position upon door 46 and to swing thestairs between folded and unfolded position, such as shown in Figures1-5 and here eliminated for simplicity of illustration and description.

It will be appreciated from the foregoing that the improvedfoldingstairs of the present invention are not only particularly rigid and safeas well as being readily movable between unfolded and retracted positionbut that they are quite compact and occupy a very small space in foldedposition, thus being very well adapted for use where space is at apremium. As various embodiments and numerous modifications thereof arepossible within the scope of the invention attention is invited to thefollowing claims for a precise definition of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. Improved folding stairs adapted for mounting Within a shallowrectangular recess in a vertical wall and comprising two pairs ofparallel bars, a plurality of rigid plates each having one surfacethereof comprising stair treads pivotally mounted on said pairs of barsand spaced apart equal distances along said bars to form a movableparallelogram pivotable between a retracted position with said plates invertical planar alignment and an operated position with said plates inparallel spaced disposition, the uppermost of said plates having a pairof extensions thereon for pivotal mounting within the recess in saidwall, a pair of foldable links pivotally mounted upon the front cornersof said uppermost plate and adapted for pivotal connection at theopposite ends thereof within the recess in said wall above saidextensions, and a pair of braces pivotally joined to one pair of saidbars and extending downwardly therefrom for pivotal mounting within therecess in said wall below said extensions whereby said stairs areretractable into the recess in said wall and rotatably movable therefrominto operated position providing a rigid stairway, and said plateshaving a length parallel to said wall substantially equal to the Widthof the recess therein and a combined widthv equal to the height of saidwall recess whereby said plates close said wall recess in retractedposition.

2. An improved folding stairs as claimed in claim 1 further defined by apair of cover plates adapted for pivotal mounting upon said verticalwall one on each side of the recess therein and extending thereoverwhereby same are movable from an open position with said stairs inoperated position to a closed position with said stairs in retractedposition to cover the vertical edges of said stairs in retractedposition.

said plates, a second pair of parallel bars pivotally engaging the edgesof said plates adjacent aligned corners Y thereof whereby said platesare pivotable from a first position in vertical planar alignment to asecond position with said plates in offset spaced parallelism, a pairvof rigid extensions attached to the mounting members of the uppermost ofsaid plates and extending from said plate with pivotal connections atthe end thereof, a pair of foldable links each pivotally connected to afront corner of the uppermost of said plates and extending therefrom,said links having pivotal connections at the ends thereof adapted forvertical alignment with the connections at the ends of said extensions,and a pair of 'braces each pivotally engaging one of said bars below theconnection thereof to a mounting member of the uppermost of said platesand said braces being adapted to extend downwardly therefrom with apivotal connection at the end thereof adapted for vertical alignmentwith the pivotal connections at thle ends of saidl extensions wherebysaid stairs are adapted for mounting within a recess in a vertical walland is there movable from said rst position folded within said recess tosaid second position with said plates disposed as stair treads.

4. Improved foldable stairs as claimed in claim 3 further defined bysaid plates having a width substantially equal to the width of therecess in the wallupon which the stairs are mounted and a combined'depthsubstantially equal to the height of said recess whereby said stairs insaid firsti'folded position disposes said plates in closing relation tosaid recess. Y

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS GreatBritain .lune 30, 1936

